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    • Aims and Objectives
    • Curriculum Grade 6-10
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Aims

The aims of any MYP subject state in a general way what the teacher may expect to teach or do, and what the student may expect to experience or learn. In addition, they suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

The aims of the teaching and study of MYP language A are to encourage and enable students to:

• use language as a vehicle for thought, creativity, reflection, learning, self-expression and social interaction

• develop the skills involved in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting in a variety of contexts

• develop critical, creative and personal approaches to studying and analysing literary and non-literary works

• engage in literature from a variety of cultures and representing different historical periods

• explore and analyse aspects of personal, host and other cultures through literary and non-literary works

• engage with information and communication technology in order to explore language

• develop a lifelong interest in reading widely

• apply language A skills and knowledge in a variety of real-life contexts.

Objectives

The objectives of any MYP subject state the specific targets that are set for learning in the subject. They define what the student will be able to do, or do better, as a result of studying the subject.

The objectives of MYP language A deal with language and literature. The various language skills—listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting—are all covered by these objectives.

These objectives relate directly to the assessment criteria found in the “Language A assessment criteria” section.

A Content (receptive and productive)

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• understand and analyse the language, content, structure, meaning and significance of both familiar and previously unseen oral, written and visual texts

• understand and apply language A terminology in context

• analyse the effects of the author’s choices on an audience

• compose pieces that apply appropriate literary and/or non-literary features to serve the context and intention

• compare and contrast works, and connect themes across and within genres

• express an informed and independent response to literary and non-literary texts.

B Organization

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• create work that employs organizational structures and language-specific conventions throughout a variety of text types

• organize ideas and arguments in a sustained, coherent and logical manner

• employ appropriate critical apparatus.

C Style and language mechanics

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• use language to narrate, describe, analyse, explain, argue, persuade, inform, entertain and express feelings

• use language accurately

• use appropriate and varied register, vocabulary and idiom

• use correct grammar and syntax

• use appropriate and varied sentence structure

• use correct spelling (alphabetic languages) or writing (character languages).

Development of skills to meet MYP objectives

In order to meet the MYP language A objectives, teachers will need to concentrate on each of the macro-skills of language A: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting. These skills are very much interactive and interrelated, though in some instances teachers may wish to deal with them as discrete skills.

Through studying MYP language A, students will show an increasing awareness of the power of language, both in their own and others’ language use. Students will be able to use and interpret language suitably for a variety of intentions and contexts.

Students should work with both familiar and previously unseen texts, in order to practise, develop and demonstrate their language A skills. Students should engage with texts from different times, places, cultures, geographical regions, historical periods and perspectives.

Oral communication

Oral communication encompasses all aspects of listening and speaking: skills that are essential for language development, for learning and for relating to others. Oral communication enables students to construct meaning through the process of articulating thoughts in a variety of ways.

Debates, role plays, discussions, Socratic seminars, oral essays, lectures, speeches, interviews, simulations, poetry recitals, and dramatic as well as oral interpretations of literature are all examples of tasks students may engage with to develop their oral communication skills both as speakers and listeners. Some oral communication tasks will involve a single, main speaker whereas other oral communication tasks will involve multiple, interacting speakers.

Written communication

Written communication encompasses all aspects of reading and writing. Reading is constructing meaning from text by making inferences and interpretations. The process of reading is interactive and involves the reader’s purpose for reading, the reader’s prior knowledge and experience, as well as the author’s techniques and effects. Writing allows us to develop, organize and communicate thoughts, ideas and information.

Fiction and non-fiction in a variety of genres, for example, novels, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, diaries, letters, pastiches, parodies, cartoons, graphic novels, poetry, song lyrics, drama, screenplays, advertisements, blogs, emails, websites, appeals, brochures, leaflets, editorials, interviews, magazine articles, manifestos, reports, instructions and guidelines, are all examples of text types students may engage with to develop their written communication skills both as readers and writers.

Visual communication

Visual communication encompasses all aspects of viewing and presenting. Viewing and presenting means interpreting or constructing visuals and multimedia in a variety of situations and for a range of purposes and audiences. They allow students to understand the ways in which images and language interact to convey ideas, values and beliefs. Visual texts present information: learning to interpret this information and to understand and use different media are invaluable skills.

Advertisements, commercials, works of art, performance art, dramatic interpretations, postcards, graphic novels, animations, cartoons, comics, films, music videos, video clips, newspapers and magazines, graphs, tables, diagrams, leaflets, posters and television programmes are all examples of visual text types students may engage with to develop their visual communication skills both as viewers and presenters.

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